A source to "Syrian News": There is no political background behind the demolition of the municipality of Qamishli
An informed source denied to "Syrian News" that there are any political backgrounds or tensions between the Syrian government and the SDF behind the demolition of the old Qamishli municipality building, stressing that the move is "purely a service and internal investment decision" taken by the local authorities affiliated with the Autonomous Administration.
The decision to demolish was issued by the Local Administrations and Environment Authority in Jazira Province, which has been managing this part of the city for years, the source said, explaining that the main motivation was to invest the central location of the building to establish a large commercial project that includes a complex and a mall, arguing that the old structure is "dilapidated and poses a danger to public safety."
The source pointed out that the location of the building is not within the scope of the security square, which usually witnesses tensions between the two parties, but within the full sphere of influence of the Autonomous Administration, which denies, according to the source, any hypothesis related to an attempt to "obliterate government landmarks" or send political messages through demolition, stressing that the file is "purely service-oriented" and that linking it to any political or security conflict is "inaccurate."
Outrage and unconvincing justifications
The demolition of the old Qamishli municipality building sparked a wave of anger in popular, cultural and human rights circles, after the city's activities considered it a direct attack on one of its most important historical and symbolic landmarks.
The demolition process took place suddenly and accelerated without any prior announcement or consultation of experts and historians, while the Local Administrations Authority of the Autonomous Administration justified that it came after years of study and evaluation and was based on the technical reality of the building, the city's growing needs, the principles of urban planning, the opinions of relevant institutions, the absorptive capacity of municipal services and the public interest, adding that this It comes as part of a new investment project that calls for the establishment of a mall and shops on the site, claiming that the building has become structurally dilapidated.
#تاريخ Qamishli does not demolish
The history of the building dates back to 1934, and it was considered one of the most prominent urban landmarks that accompanied the development of Qamishli over nine decades, with its stone style and heritage inscriptions that formed part of the city's visual identity, this legacy prompted writers' unions and cultural associations to issue statements condemning the demolition as an "urban crime", stressing that the option of restoration was possible and obligatory, and that turning the building into a museum would have preserved the memory of the city instead of erasing it.
Activists launched protest campaigns through the hashtag " #تاريخ Qamishli does not demolish, warning against the intrusion of the investment mentality at the expense of protecting human heritage, and a number of residents and those interested in heritage gathered at the demolition site to express their rejection of the move, amid demands to stop the removal of the remaining old landmarks in the markets of Qamishli.
Presidential Team: Government Buildings May Not Be Managed
In addition, the presidential team in charge of implementing the January 29 agreement, on Saturday (July 4th), considered that the demolition of the old Qamishli municipality building represents a direct attack on one of the most prominent historical and urban landmarks in the city, stressing that the move has damaged the cultural heritage that is part of the memory of the people of al-Hasakah province.
In a statement, the team explained that public properties and government buildings "belong to all Syrians, and it is not permissible to dispose of them or change their legal or administrative reality outside the official frameworks and the competent state institutions, stressing that any measures taken in this regard "do not have any legal effect" and will be dealt with in accordance with the laws and regulations in force.
The Presidential Team called on all institutions and entities affiliated with the SDF that have not completed the merger procedures to immediately stop any actions related to public property or government buildings, and to refrain from imposing new facts on the ground in line with the requirements of the stage, and to ensure the success of the merger process and the protection of state institutions.
Sources: Qamishli archaeological monuments in danger
The demolition of the old Qamishli municipality building has raised growing concern among historians and activists, amid fears that the demolition mentality in favor of commercial investment will expand towards other archaeological monuments that constitute the first pillars of the city's identity since the 1920s and 1930s, where according to local sources in Qamishli, 4 historical sites are currently emerging that are threatened with demise or radical change, the first of which is the old government saraya, which was built in the 1930s and is considered the first administrative center of the city, but today suffers from severe neglect in maintenance amid fears of Collapse parts of them or replace them with modern cement blocks.
The sources pointed out to "Syrian News" that the archaeological mill is in danger of being dismantled due to the expansion of commercial projects in the central market, which threatens to swallow up its historical surroundings and remove the rest of its structure, which was associated with the memory of self-sufficiency and the grain trade.
The sources warned that the stone and wooden arches in the vaulted market in the heart of the old commercial market are subjected to individual demolitions and modern modifications that obliterate the unique architectural character that reflects the diversity of the city's early builders, including Syriacs, Armenians, Kurds and Arabs, in the absence of strict control from the competent authorities.
She warned that mud houses with wooden roofs in the old neighborhoods are facing a wave of purchases from contracting companies with the aim of demolishing them and erecting residential towers, which threatens to erase the horizontal urban identity that has characterized Qamishli since its establishment.